Winnipeg firefighters use a ladder apparatus to extinguish a blaze in a historic downtown high-rise early Sunday, September 29, 2019. (@CITYOFWINNIPEG / TWITTER)
Winnipeg firefighters worked to battle a blaze early Sunday in a seven-storey high-rise in the city’s downtown.
The fire at 138 Portage Avenue began just after 2:30 a.m., engulfing the roof of the building and extending through the elevator shaft.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service says crews attempted to enter the structure but were forced back as the building’s water suppression systems were not operational. Aerial ladders and water streams were used as an alternative.
Firefighters used a drone and utilized the help of the Winnipeg police Air 1 helicopter to direct crews to where flames were still active.
Roads in the area remain closed as of 10:45 a.m. and crews are expected to be on scene throughout Sunday.
The city says the structure was built in 1909 and is a designated historic building known as the Keewayden Building or Crowley Building.
